Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompence to his enemies. Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: ( Isaiah 66:5-10)

God will vindicate the company which trembles at his Word, even though they are to be cast out and rejected by the disobedient nation. The larger congregation mocks the cast offs, in verse five, in language very similar to what the Religious elders said to Jesus when He hung upon a cross; “He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him since He delights in Him…”.

But in the end, it is they who shall be ashamed.

Jesus promised a church in Asia Minor, that He would so vindicate them, that the Synagogue which was persecuting them would have to publicly acknowledge that they were right!

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.( Revelation 3:9)

Judgment was coming upon the nation which busied itself with the business of external worship, but never really responded to God, instead doing their own thing. According to vs 6, The temple which Israel regarded so highly as if it were their crowning achievement, would soon be destroyed, as an expression of Holy Wrath, against his enemies.

Jeremiah and Jesus both agreed, that the Temple which God ordained as a dwelling place, had been remade into a den of thieves, a place by which the nation derived a false confidence, a presumption that as long as it stood, God was in their midst and the nation would remain inviolable.

Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord.Jeremiah 7:9-11)

We have some of the same dangerous presumptions today in Christianity, mostly through the teaching of “Once saved,Always saved”. The “sinners prayer” has become to todays ‘believers’, what the Temple had become to the congregation in Jeremiah’s day. Has God changed from Old to New Testament?

A new nation was waiting to be born out of the Holy nation. Zion, the chosen company of cast offs and rejects, who trembled at God’s word and who were sorry for their sins and poor of Spirit, would emerge as new “Holy Nation, Royal Priesthood and Chosen Generation…”.

All who love Jerusalem and all she stands for, will rejoice in that day. Something glorious will be accomplished in her, and something in continuity with all of the Prophet’ words and visions shall emerge out of her.

Jerusalem is the place where the LORD dwelt on earth, it is the city which God put his name within, and where the Priests administered the service of mercy day after day. It is the city of the Great King and the place of forgiveness. There in Jerusalem the Son of God was crucified and it was there that Satan was dealt a mortal blow. Outside of Jerusalem is an empty tomb, the earth’s most serious hole.

Prophets and pious men weep and cry for Jerusalem, those who tremble at God’s Word lament her state, the unbelief, the sin and apostasy of Jerusalem. But Isaiah saw something born in one day in Jerusalem.

One morning at the Temple, a small despised group of Jews were praying, when suddenly the Lord poured out of His Spirit upon them,

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.(Acts 2:1-4)

Those who truly love the cause of God in the earth, that is Jerusalem and Zion, will recognize the continuity in the Church, and rejoice in it.

Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.

For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.(Isaiah 66;10-14)

Gentiles will flow into it, and nurse off of the bounty of Jerusalem, they shall be born again and taught the Hebrew scriptures, and nourish themselves by the Jewish Messiah, joining the new nation of “Word Tremblers” in the body of Messiah.

What a vision Isaiah saw!! What a contrast between outcomes!

On the one hand, for that disobedient nation, trusting in Self, exalting in works, casting out of their midst the true seed, the Lord choses delusions for them, their exalted temple is torn down, and they are treated as God’s enemies.

On the other hand, those who trembled at the Word become a new nation entirely, and inherit the treasures and riches of Jerusalem, they further the cause of Zion and many, many, many Gentiles flow in to become part of heavenly Jerusalem.

Isaiah saw it, and we are currently living out the last days of it…stay tuned

One Response to When Zion Travailed…Isaiah 66 pt 6

We have some of the same dangerous presumptions today in Christianity, mostly through the teaching of “Once saved,Always saved”. The “sinners prayer” has become to todays ‘believers’, what the Temple had become to the congregation in Jeremiah’s day. Has God changed from Old to New Testament?

No He has not. I was one of those Christians. Grace, grace, grace,. it was all about me. Sort of like when they said to Jeremiah (Temple, Temple, Temple), like God would not destroy b/c of that.
When I weep for my sin today, sorrow b/c of how I failed my LORD, when I shout for joy Marantha!
friends and family think I am totally gone.
but
I rejoice in God’s word and each day He comforts me. I do not even bother to share what Christ is doing in my life now. It is almost like He is saying to me to be silent. Watch Like in Habbukkuk.
What He will do.
I keep His precious moments in my heart like Mary did.
There r so many people I cannot wait to meet in heaven.
So many wonderful things God has done in my life.
I want to purchase gold refined in the fire.

I cannot wait to see Jesus rule and reign from Jerusalem.
It is like everyday He unveils one more of His promises from His word.

I like the the story of woman at the well, the woman who wept at Jesus’s feet, of Mary and Martha of Lazarus.
Of the rich man and of Lazarus, where the man got to go to Father Abraham’s bosum
Father Abraham.
So many people to meet in Heaven.
The one’s who lowered beloved Apostle Paul in a basket out of the city
The servants who spoke to the rulers to get Jeremiah out of the pit
The maid servant who spoke to her mistress to tell of the prophet in Samaria who could heal Naaman.
On and one the true stories go.

The Bible is a fascinating Book, I love it and I love to read it and understand it. I love when Elisha said to Elijah My Father, My Father, when Elijah was taken up to Heaven.

When Jesus will present us to the Father with great joy.
Jesus the author and finisher of my faith.

I am lost in that song once again.
I had nothing to offer Him but brokeness and strife
but
He made something beautiful of my life

Marantha!

I cannot wait for Heaven, for Jesus to rule and reign from Jerusalem and I almost forgot one of my favourite verses, In Isaiah 63 when Jesus is striding from Bozrah to Petra to pu the Jewish remant
Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah,
This ONe who is majestic in His apparel,
Jesus
Marching in the greatness of His strength?…
Who is like my LORD
Majestic and beautiful is He and I cannot wait to meet Him( I would probably fall at His feet as dead, like John did:)
but
Patient endurance is required and sober diligence is the ticket
What is that Hymn that states
Every hour I need thee
It is so true